Combination cloth feeding and laying-up machine



Nov. 25, 1941. H. w. GILBERT ETAL COMBINATION CLOTH FEEDING ANDLAYING-UP MAQH INE Filed Dec. 12, 1940 '7 Sheets-Sheet l Q! $l IINVENTOR5 HTTDK/ X "R 6mm h/mrm Dam -10 BY M HE MM Nam SHGHSHGH &

FRMXHR Nov. 25, 1941. w, GlLBERT ETAL 2,263,555

COMBINATION CLOTH FEEDING AND LAYING-UP MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1940 '7Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORfi Harem/v Wmm 511.5%, WHLTERDEIU-IMHA/A/ BY MFRANK (iD m/z M W aTTvKA EX Nov. 25, 1941. H. w. GILBERT ET AL 2,263,555COMBINATION CLOTH FEEDING AND LAYING-UP MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1940 '7Sheets-Sheet 3 m m w m.

HER/10M M/nuaz 6/455 h/mrm Pam/MM BY M EM K H. PFXTER Nov. 25, I941. H.w. GILBERT ET AL 2,263,555

I COMBINATION CLOTH FEEDING AND LAYING-UP MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1940 7Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VENTORS.

Nov. 25, 1941. H. w. GILBERT ETAL 2,263,555

COMBINATION CLOTH FEEDING AND LAYING-UP MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, l940 '7Sheets-Sheet 5 III #0 7 m #1 INVENTORS HERMAN Warm /LaEKT, h/nrere pmH/MNN,

BY F /v/ H. DEXTER l W ATTDKNEX No v. 25, 1941.

COMBINATION CLOTH FEEDING AND LAYING-UP MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1940 7Sheets-Shet 6 H. w. GILBERT ETAL 2,263,555

Nov; 25, 1941. H. w. GILBERT EI'AL 2,263,555

C OMBINA'I'ION CLOTH FEEDING AND LAYING-UP MACHINE I Filed Dec. 12, 19407 Sheets-Sheet 7 f atentecl Nov. 25 1941 COMBINATION CLOTH FEEDING ANDLAYING-UP MACHINE Herman Walter Gilbert, Kew Gardens, and 7 WalterDeichmann, Elmont, N. Y., and Frank H. Dexter, Clifton, N. .L,assignors, by direct and mesne assignments, to Cutting Room AppliancesCorp., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December12, 1940, Serial No. 3 69,714

16 Claims. (Cl. 270-31) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in a cloth laying-up machine, and

' has more particular reference to a combination feeding and layingmachine of this type.

Heretofore laying-up machines have been produced which are characterizedby carriages adapted to be reciprocated back and forth on a table forlaying-up cloth material thereon. It is customary to use a clamp deviceat each end of the path of reciprocationarranged to catch and hold thefolds. While this type of machine is satisfactory for certain kinds ofgoods, particularly material which does not stretch very much, it isunsatisfactory for material which may easily stretch. The reason forthis is that such stretchable material will stretch to different degreesduring this laying-up operation and subsequently when the laid up layersare cut to produce the various parts of a garment the parts thereof willbe distorted when they spring back fromtheir' stretched positions.

Heretofore laying-up machines have also been produced having feedingmechanisms for continuously feeding the cloth in one direction duringthe reciprocation of the carriage of the ma- .1 chine back and forth.Theoretically, machines of this type are capable of laying up differentkinds of material without imparting any stretch since at all times thematerial is being fed. Pracztically, the operation of this type of-machine is not ideal for all types of fabrics, as somefabrics should beslightly stretched as they are-laidup. This is particularly true forthose types of fabrics having an initial set position which subsequentlystraightens out. laid up cloth of this type Will stretch and be toolarge.

This invention particularly proposes a cloth laying-up machine which hasa combination action consisting of laying and feeding. The in-- ventionproposes to provide an arrangement which will control the period ofeach'reciprocation during which the machine is laying, orfeed- .ingcloth. With this particular arrangement it is possible to regulate themachine so that it is feed- Pattern pieces cut from specificationproceeds.

of reciprocation of the carriage of'the cloth laying machine, to controlthe mechanism which switches the machine from feeding to laying, andvice versa. With this arrangement it is possible to adapt the clothlaying machine for the most optimum operation forall types of material.

Stillfurther theinventionproposes to characterize the combination clothlaying-up and.fe eding machine by the fact that a pair of contactingfeed rollers is provided, controlled by a mechanism for continuouslydriving these feed rollers in one direction at speeds to feed the clothat the samerate that the carriage is moved along said table in eitherdirection-and a means is also provided for separating. these rollerswhen said carriageis in positions between theends of itsstroke so thatthe moving carriage may lay said cloth web on the table and said lattermeans alsov controlling the contacting of these rollerswhen the carriageis atthe end portionsof its pathof reciprocationto cause feeding of thecloth at these periods. 7

Another object of this invention is to'provid *a simple and eflicientdrive means for continuously driving one of. said feed rollers in one:direction at speeds to feed said clothat the same rate that saidcarriage is movedalong said table in either direction. .It is proposedto characterize this drive means .by a pair of one way clutchesand .acertain transmission system. With this arrangement the necessity ofshifting gears, or requiring mechanical clutching and declutching hasbeen eliminated.

Still further the invention proposes a roller support frame movablymounted on the carriage of the cloth laying machine andhaving a frontportion, and it isproposed to provide means for guiding said'frontportion to move in a vertical 'path for reasons which will become clearas this The invention particularly has in mind the construction of asimple and durable mechanism to comprise said means to *move thesaidfront portion in the vertical path.

Anotherobject of the invention resides in the provision of a mechanismfor automatically mov- .ing the front portion of the roller supportframe upwards during the reciprocation of the carriage,

to compensate for the fact that the cloth is being stacked in layers andadditional room is required as the pile of stacked layers increases.

*Still further a novel adjustment is proposed for controllingthe speedat which-the front portion of the roller support frame is raised to make'same adjustable for cloths of diiferent thicknesses.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the object andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a combination cloth laying-up andfeeding machine constructed in accordance with this invention and shownon a table, but illustrated with certain clothweb clamping and holdingmeans removed.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of Fig. 1 looking from the right handend.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View taken on the line 33 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged detailed View of a portion of Fig. 1showing particularly a certain portion of the transmission mechanism atthe center of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-45of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged detailed view of a portion of Fig. 6showing particularly the top center gear and associated mechanism indotted lines. 7

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig.7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view taken on theline 9-9 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line l0-|ll of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view of one of the drive wheels of thedrive means for continuously driving one of the said feed rollers, aspreviously explained.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary vertical enlarged sectional view taken on theline l2l2 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view taken directlybehind the rear side wall of the carriage of the machine, as illustratedin Fig. l, to show certain of the parts in greater detail.

Fig. 14 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 13 but illustrating theparts in a different position.

Fig. 15 is another sectional view similar to Fig. 13 but illustratingthe parts in still another position.

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary enlarged detailed view of a portion of Fig. 14.

Fig. 17 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line I1l1 of Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is an elevational view of a certain spreader device for use withthe laying-up machine When tubular goods is being laid up.

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View as though taken on theline I 9l9 of Fig. 18, but to which certain parts of the laying-upmachine, and the cloth being fed, has been added.

Fig. 20 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a combination feedingand laying-up machine on a table and drawn to a reduced scale andshowing the means for clamping and holding the web portion being laid atits ends of the amplitude of reciprocation of the carriage of thedevice.

The combination cloth laying-up and feeding machine, in accordance withthis invention, includes a carriage 20 for supporting a supply of clothand adapted to be reciprocated back and forth on a table 2!. Thecarriage 20 includes a pair of laterally spaced side walls 22 and 23which are fixedly held together by several tie tubular members 24 androds 55, see Figs. 3 and 10. A perforated sheet metal top 25 is mountedacross the top edges of the side walls 22 and 23. The side walls 22 and23 are formed with laterally projecting web flanges 23, 21, etc., forreinforcement purposes. Wheels 28 are rotatively mounted upon the frontand rear ends of the side wall 23 and rest upon the table 2! forsupporting one side of the carriage 29. The other side of the carriage23 is supported by wheels 29 which are rotatively mounted on the sidewall 22 and which rest on a track 33 attached on the near side of thetable 2|.

A roller support frame 31, see Fig. 3, is movably supported on thecarriage 23 and has a front portion 3|. Th roller support frame 3|comprises a pair of spaced side arms 32 and 33 arranged inside of theside walls 22 and 23. The side arms 32 and 33 are fixedly tied togetherby several rods 34, 35 and 3G. The rod 36 is mounted across the frontportion 31' of the roller support frame 3|. The other rods are mountedrearwards of this front rod 36. A pair of contacting feed rollers 31 and38 are mounted on the front portion 3! for receiving and feeding a webportion of a supply of cloth (not shown on the drawings) which duringthe operation of the machine is mounted on or above the carriage 23. Theroller 31 has an internal core 31a and a rubber cover 311). The roller38 has an internal core 38a and a rubber cover 381).

The feed roller 31 is rotatively supported between a pair of downwardlydepending arms 39 which depend from the rod 36, by trunnion elements310. The roller 38 is rotatively supported on a pair of forwardlyextending and downwardly depending arms 40 which are also turnablymounted on the rod 38. The rollers 31 and 38 are disposed substantiallyon a horizontal plane. Since the arms 40 extend forwards and downwardsthe roller 38 engages the roller 31. due to the action of gravity on it.

Means is provided for guiding said front portion 3| of the rollersupport frame 3| to move in a vertical path. This means includesparallelograms of arms extending rearwards from the arms 39 andincluding the said arms 33. For each arm 39 there is a separateparallelogram of arms. The parallelogram of arms on the near side of themachine as viewed in Fig. 1 comprises the side arm 32, the vertical arm39, a substantially vertical rear arm 42, and an arm 43 which isparallel to the arm 32. These arms are pivotally connected together. Theparallelogram of arms on the far side of the machine, see Fig. 3,includes the arm 33, the vertical arm 39, a rear vertical arm 44, and aconnecting arm 45. The arms 39 and 44 are parallel to each other and thearms 33 and 45 are parallel to each other. These arms are also pivotallyconnected.

Means is provided for horizontally supporting the rear top corners ofthe said parallelograms of arms. This means includes the rod 34 whichhas its end portions extended, and slidably engaging into horizontalslots 46 formed in the side walls 22 and 23 of the carriage 23. A peg 41is mounted on each of the rear arms 42 and 44 of the parallelogram ofarms. These pegs 41 are disposed rearwards of the rod 34 and on the samehorizontal plane, and also engage in the slots 46 of the side walls 22and 23,

Means is provided for moving one of the rearwardly extending side armsof each of said parallelogram of arms forwards and rearwards to "22 and23 at the front of the machine. side arms 59 extend upwards andrearwards over 'the'carriage '29. They are tied together with a"carriage 20.

maintain said front vertical arm'39'in a vertical path when the rollersupport frame 3| is moved upwards and downwards. This means includes therod 35 which has its ends projecting and engaging into arcuately shapedcam slots 48 formed in the side walls 22 and 23 of the carriage 20.These slots 48 are of such shapes that the front portion 3| of theroller support frame 3| canmove only in a true vertical'plane. It

should be realized that the'rod 34 comprises a pivot for the rollersupportframetl. However,

this pivot '34 is slidable in the horizontal slots 46 and this slidingmotion is'guided by the curvature of the slots 48 which are designed tomaintain the front portion 3| ina vertical plane, as the front portion3| is movedupwards and downwards. I

An endless member 50 isimovablymounted on each side wall of the carriage20 and has a-side portion 50a arranged to move in a vertical path.

More specifically, each endless member 5000mprises achain '50, and thesechains engage over top sprocket wheels and bottom sprocket wheels 52rotatively supported on the side walls of the carriage 29, see Fig. 3.The bottom sprocket wheels 52 are mounted upon the inner faces of theside walls 22 and 23 of the carriage 20. .The top sprockets 5| arefixedly mounted on the front tubular member 24. 'This front tubularmember 24 is rotatively supported by a pin bearing 54 mounted on the rod55 which is extended through thistubular member 24. This rod 55 issecured to'the side walls 22 and 23 by fasteningscrews 56. SmallL-shaped fastening members '51 are attached upon the vertical portions50a of the endless chains 50, and are also attached to the vertical arms39, see Fig. 2. The arrangement is such that the vertical sideportionsfifia of the chains 50 are capable of moving the front portion3| of the roller support frame 31 in the vertical path mentioned.

The side arms 32 and 33 of the roller support :frame 3| extend rearwardsof thepivot rod 34. 'Counterweights 58 are mounted upon the rear ends ofthese side arms, and serve to counterbalance the roller support frame 3|so that the front portion 3! thereof may easily be moved upwards anddownwards. Guiding and tensioning means'forsupplyin'g a web portion ofcloth to the'feed rollers 31 and 38 is mounted on the carriage 29. Thisguiding and tensioning means includes side arms 59 mounted on the sidewalls These rod 59a. A plurality of rollers 60 is rotatively mountedbetween the side arms 59, over and around which the web of cloth may beguided before it is fed in between the feed rollers '31 and38.

.Drive means'is mounted on the carriage 2i] jfor continuously drivingone of the feed rollers,

' (brackets 62 and 63), andnormally engages the :table 2|; Resilientmeansis providedfor urging "the'brackets"62 and G3 in directions'toengage the drivingwheels 64 against the table 2|. This "resilient meanscomprises an expansion spring 65 which is mounted between the upper endsof the brackets 62 and 63. This expansion spring 65 is under compressionand consequently bowed downwards, as illustrated in Fig. 4. When the topportions of the brackets 62 and 63 are urged apart the bottom portionswhich carry the drive wheels'64 will be urged downwards against thetable 2|.

A pair of one way clutches 66 and 6'! is mounted on the main shaft 6|,and are set in the same direction. The clutch 66 comprises a hub portion66a fixedly mounted on the shaft 6| having several peripheral cutouts66b in which rollers 560 are set. A casing 68 is rotative on the shaft Hand engages over the rollers 660. The arrangement is such that when thecasing 68 is turned in one direction the rollers 560 will be forced intothe shallow portions of the slots 66b and transmit rotation to the hub66a. However, when the casing 68 is turned in the other direction therollers 660 will be forced into the deep portions of the slots 661) sothat no rotation is transmitted'to the hub 66a.

The one way clutch 6'! is similarly constructed as the clutch 66. Itincludes a hub portion 61a which is fixed on the shaft 6|. This hubportion 61a is formed with peripheral cutouts 51b in which there arerollers 670. A casing 69 is rotative on the shaft 6| and engages overthe rollers 670. When this casing 69 is turned in one direction'therollers El'c will be forced into the shallow portions of the slots 61band then the rotations will'be transmitted to the hub 67a and shaft 6|.However, when the casing 69 is turned in the other direction the rollers610 will be forced into the deep portions of the slots 61b and therewill be no transmission to the shaft 6!.

A transmission system is provided from said drive wheels 64 for turningsaid clutches 66 and 6! simultaneously in opposite directions. Thistransmission system includes a gear 10 concentrically fixedly mounted onone of the drive wheels 64. Another gear TI is concentrically fixedlymounted on the other drive wheel 54. The casing 68 is provided with gearteeth 12 which simultaneously mesh with the gears 70 and H. The casing69 is provided with gear teeth 13 which do not touch the gears 10 and H(see Fig. 5). However, the gear 13 meshes with a pinion 14' rotativelysupported on the bracket 63, and thispinion 74 is of sufficient width soas to simultaneously mesh with the gear teeth 13 and the gear H. Itshould be noted that the arrangement is such that the drive wheels 64will drive the casings 68 and 69 simultaneously in opposite directions.Consequently, only one of these casings will, through the medium of itsone way clutch, drive the shaft 6| at any particular moment. The shaft6| will always turn in the same direction even though the drive wheels64 turn in both directions.

Another transmission system is provided which extends from the mainshaft 6| to the said feed roller 31. This latter transmission systemincludes a sprocket l6 fixedly mounted upon the outer end of the mainshaft 6| which extends to the outside of the wall 22. A chain ll engagesover the sprocket l6 and over a sprocket l8 fixedly mounted on a shaftl9 which is rotatively supported on the bottom of the vertical arm 42,concentric with the pivot of the arm 43. A parallelogram of links 8971'sconnected between the shafts GI and 19, and support idler sprocketwheels 8| which act to keep the chain 11 in proper tension in allforward and rearward positions of the vertical arm 42. A sprocket 03 isfixedly mounted on the shaft 19 and connects with a chain 84 whichextends forwards and engages over a sprocket 85 coaxially fixed on oneof the trunnion elements 320 on the feed roller 31, see Fig. 2. Thevarious parts of the transmission are so proportioned that the feedrollers 3'! and 38 will feed a cloth web which is engaged between them,at the same linear rate, as the linear speed of the carriage when movedin either direction. Means is provided for lifting the drive wheels 64out of contact with the table 2| to stop the feeding operation when thisis desired. This means includes a pair of links 81 and 88 which arepivotally connected with each other at their adjacent ends, and whichare pivotally connected with the brackets 62 and 63 at their outer ends,concentric with the drive wheels 64. A hook shaped member 89 ispivotally connected at its bottom end by a pintle 99 with the pivotalconnected inner ends of the links 01 and 88. This hook shaped member 89extends upwards and is pivotally connected with the forward end of alever 9|. The lever 9| is pivotally supported intermediate of its endsby a pintle 92 mounted on the wall 22. The hook portion of the hookshaped member 89 straddles a boss 93, see Fig. 5, formed on the innerface of the wall 22 which is concentric with the shaft 6|. Thearrangement is such that when the rear end of the lever 9| is depressedthe hook shaped member 89 will be lifted upwards, lifting up theadjacent ends of the links 8'! and 89. In the normal lowered position ofthese links, they are inclined downwards (see Fig. 4).

When the links 8'! and 88 are lifted upwards they spread apart thebottom ends of the brackets 62 and 63. Since the brackets 62 and 63 arepivotally mounted on the shaft 6|, the drive wheels 64 will move upwardsout of contact with the table 2|. The bottom hook portion of the hookshaped member 89 will strike the boss 93 when the hook shaped member 99is lifted, limiting further upward motion thereof, just after the links81 and 88 pass their horizontal dead centers. Then the weights of thedrive wheels 64, and the brackets 62, and the expansion action of thespring 65 will lock the links 9? and 88 in their new positions. Thiskeeps the drive wheel 64 out of contact with the table 2|. It isnecessary that the rear end of the lever 9| be pulled upwards to againforce the links 81 and 88 into their original down positions, in whichthe drive wheels 64 engaged the table, when action of the transmissionsystem is again desired.

Means is provided for limiting the distance through which the carriage20 may be reciprocated on the table 2|. This means includes a rear stop93 adjustably mounted on the track against which the rear wheel 29 willstrike when the carriage 20 is moved rearwards. This means also includesa front stop 94 adapted to strike a front portion of the machine.Specifically, it will strike a wheel 95 mounted on an L-shaped lever 99.This L-shaped lever is pivotally supported on the side wall 22 by apintle 91. It is further supported by a link 99 which is pivotallyconnected with the lever 99, and which extends upwards and is supportedat its top end on an arm 99. The arm 99 is turnably mounted on a bossportion I09 formed on the wall 22. When the carriage 20 is moved to itsfull front position the roller 95 will strike the stop 94, and so limitforward motion of the carriage. The stops 93 and 94 may be adjustedalong the length of the rail 39 and thus the amplitude of possiblereciprocation of the carriage 29 may be controlled.

Means is provided, controlled by the reciprocation of the carriage 29,for progressively raising the front portion 3| of the roller supportframe 3|. This means includes the roller 95, the lever 96, the link 98and the arm 99. In addition it includes a pawl IOI pivotally mounted onthe hub portion of the arm 99 by a pintle I02. The pawl |0| has a heavytail portion mm. It also has a top tooth portion |0Ib. This toothportion I9Ib is adapted to engage a ratchet I03 which is fixedly mountedby key screws I04 on a hub I05 fixedly mounted on the tubular member 24which is at the front of the machine. A shield I96 normally engages thetooth I0|b of the pawl IOI holding the pawl |0| from engaging the teethof the ratchet I03. The shell I06 is adjustably supported. It has anarcuate portion I01 formed with an arcuate slot I08 concentric with thetubular member 24 A screw M911 is fixedly mounted on a rod I09 fixedlymounted on the side wall 22 and having a portion passing through theslot I08.

A wing nut IEO threadedly engages the screw I09a. This wing nut may bescrewed tight against the shield I06 to hold the shield I06 in fixedpositions. Another pawl III engages the ratchet I03, and is pivotallysuported on a portion of the rod I09. The pawl III has a tooth I'I Iawhich rests on the teeth of the ratchet I03. It has a handle portionIIIb which may be manually gripped and moved upwards to free the toothIIIa from the ratchet I03. When the carriage 20 is moved to its completeforward position the roller strikes the stop 94 pivoting the lever 96downwards. This pulls on the link 98 which pulls the arm 99 downwards.When the arm 99 moves downwards, its other end carrying the pawl |0|will move upwards (see Fig. 9). The position of the shield |06determines the point at which the tooth IOI b of the pawl I0| may engagethe teeth of the ratchet I03. Then the ratchet I03 is moved by the pawl|0|.

The shield I96 may be adjusted so that the ratchet I03 is moved onetooth, or two teeth, or three teeth, etc. as desired, depending upon thespeed at which it is desired to move the front portion 3| of the rollersupport frame 3| upwards. When the ratchet I03 is turned, the tubularmember 24 will turn. Since the tubular member 24 carries the sprockets5|, the chains 50 will be correspondingly turned. This moves theL-shaped fastening members 5'! upwards, and so the arms 39. This upwardmotion of the arms 39 moves the front portion 3| of the roller supportframe 3| upwards.

A leaf spring H5 is mounted on the vertical portion 50a. of one of thechains 50, and is adapted to strike the tail |0Ia of the pawl ml to holdthe tooth IOIb free of the ratchet I 03 when the front portion 3| is inits fully raised position. Thus even though the carriage 20 may bereciprocated backwards and forwards and the roller 95 strikes the stop94, which will indirectly move the arm 99, the pawl IOI will not engagethe ratchet I03 and therefore there will be no further tendency to raisethe front portion 3| roller support frame 3 I.

The front portion 3| of the roller support frame 3| may be manuallyraised by lifting the handle III!) of the pawl III and then turning thetubular member 24 so that the sprockets 5| move the endless chains 50.To facilitate turning the tubular member 24 awheel II6 (see Fig. 2)isfixedly mounted-on the tubular member 24. The front portion 3I may belowered by lifting the pawl III and manually moving it down- Wards.

Means is provided for separating the feed rollers 31 and 38 when saidcarriage 20 is in positions between the ends of its amplitude ofreciprocation, so that the moving carriage 20 may lay said web of clothon the table 2I, and contacting said feed rollers 31'and 38 when saidcar riage 20 is at endportions of its amplitude of reciprocation to feedsaid web of cloth on to the table 2I. This means includes a triangularshaped plate I28 pivotally mounted on the bottom. of the arm 39 on thetrunnion element 310 coaxial with the feed roller 31. One apex of thetriangular shaped member I20 is pivotally connected by a pintle I2I toan arm I22 pivotally' mounted on the bottom of the arm 48 coaxial withthe feed roller 38. The pintle I2I normally is located a substantialdistance below the axes of the feed rollers 31 and 38. An arm I23 isFig. 13, so as not to interfere with the contacting of the feed rl1ers31 and 38. An arm I23 is pivotally connected with the third apex of thetriangular shaped member I20 by a pintle I24. This arm I23 extendsparallel to the arm 43. Its

other end is pivotally connected by a pintle I24 with one apex ofanother triangular shaped member I25. This triangular shaped member I25is pivotally supported on the shaft 18at its top apex. The arrangementis such that the arms 43 and I23 and the triangular members I28 andI25form a parallelogram.

A link I26 is pivotally connected by a pintle I21 to the third apex ofthe triangular shaped member I25. This link I26 extends downwards andpivotally connects-with a crank I28. This crank I28 is coaxially mountedon one side of a sprocket I29. which is rotatively supported on one endof a horizontal arm I38. This arm I30 is fixedly mountedcnthe bottom ofan extension I3I- projecting from the arm 42. Another sprocket I32' isrotatively mounted on the arm- I30. A chain I33'engages" ever thesprockets I29'and I32. This chain has its bottom side I33a horizontal,and parallel to the track 30, see Fig; 16. Three pins I35, I38 andI31'are mounted through the chain 133 at certain spaced positions. Thepin I36 is located at the center of the side I33a. The pin I31 islocated to the right of the pin I36 and is at a distance correspondingwith a 180 turn of the sprocket I 29". The pin I35 is to the left of thepin I36 and is located at a distance representing a turno f-180 of thesprocket I28.

Apair of abutment members I38 and I38are adj ustably mounted on thetrack 38 and are adapted to cooperate with the pins I35, I36, and I31 ina certain manner. Each of these abutment members is fixedly held on thetrack 38 with a set screw I40. The upper end of each abutment member isformed with a groove IIII through which the chain side I33a may pass.The portions of the abutment members to the sides of. these grooves MIare adapted'to strike thepins I35, I38 and I31, as may be understood byexamining Fig. 1'7. Normally, Withthe parts as illustrated in Fig. 16,the pins I35 and I31 are above the top ends of the abutment members sothat only the pin I36 is in a position to be engaged by one. orthe otherof the abutment members.

Wh'en thecarriage 28 is to the right of the abutment members I38 andI33, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and :13, the crank I28 extends downwards.

Thepins. I ,'I36 and I31 are in'the' positions shown in Fig. 13. Thefeed rollers 31 and 38 are contacting each other. The machine in thiscondition will feed a web of cloth which is engaged between thefeedrollers 31 and 38.

When the carriage 28 is moved towards the left the abutment member I39will engage the pin I31 and move the chain I33 counter-clockwise untilthe pin I31 slips oif from the top of the abutment member I39. Duringthis time the crank I28 turned 180 counter-clockwise so that itis nowdirected upwards. The parts are now in the positions illustrated inFigs..14' and 16'. When the crank I28 moved upwards it moved the linkI23 upwards which pivoted the triangular shaped member I25counter-clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 13 to the positionshownin Fig. 14. This motion was transmitted to the triangular shapedmember I28 and. the arm I22. The pin I2'I which connects these partsmoved upwards past the dead center of the axes of the feed rollers 31and 38 spreading these rollers so that they no longer contact" eachother. The rollers 31 and 38 are held in this spread position becausethe pin I2I is past the said dead center. During this period the machinewill lay the web'of cloth and not feed it. The parts maintain thisposition because of the said dead center arrangement, until the arm I22and triangular shaped member I28 are moved back to their originaldownward position. This happens when the carriage 28 is moved either tothe left, or to the right so that one of the pins of the chainI33=engages one of the abutment members. Assumethat the carriage 28 isbeing moved towards the left: Consequently, the center pin I36 willstrike the abutment. member I38 and move thechain I33 into the positionshown in Fig. 15.

g In this position the feed rollers 31 and 38 are again. contacting eachother. It should be noted that the carriage 2.0.is now to the left ofthe abutment members I38 and. I39, and the machine is capable of feedingthe web ofclothwhich is to be inserted betweenfeed rollers 31 and 38.

When tubular goods is laid-up by the machine, a spreading means isnecessary to hold the tubulargoods in a flat positionwhen passingbetween the said feed rollers 31 and 38. An improved spreader isillustrated in Figs. 18 and-l9. It comprises the usual spreader frameI45 formed of an end section I46 telescopically engaged with an opposedend; section I41. A set screw I48 threadedly engages oneof the endsections and abuts the other for holding the spreader frame indeisengaged. It should be noted that the balls I58 are supported by thefeed rollers 31 and 38, This improvement of the spreader is necessary ina machine of the-present type in which the feed rollers 31 and 38-moveapart. to change the feeding operation to a laying operation. If not forthe balls I58, the cloth spreaderwould fall in between the feed rollers31 and 38 and become jammed, lockingthe tubular. goods, which would beobjectionable. .However, with the ball bear ings I50 arranged as shownin Figs. 18 and 19, the goods will be spread and will be capable ofbeing freely pulled or moved between the feed rollers 31 and 38.

A pair of spaced guide wheels I55 are mounted on the rod 36 of theroller support frame 3|. Each of these wheels I55 is mounted on a shaftI 56 projecting from a collar I 51 which is slidable on the rod 36. Aset screw I58 engages through each collar I51 and is capable of holdingthe collar in fixed positions on the rod 35. It is proposed that thewheels I55 be engaged against the side portions of the frame I45 of thespreader shown in Figs. 18 and 19, to properly hold the spreader throughthe web of tubular material I5I, which is being fed and laid up by themachine.

In Fig. 11 a detail has been shown of one of the drive wheels 64. Thiswheel is of novel construction. It comp-rises a metallic wheel body 64ahaving a peripheral groove I52. A solid endless tire I53 is mounted onthe periphery of the wheel body and has a projecting flange portion I53awhich engages the groove I52. The tire I53 is of elastic material sothat it may be stretched when it is removed from or placed on the wheelbody 64a. A feature of this construction resides in the fact that theinter-engaging flange I53a and groove I52 will prevent the tire I53 fromcoming off the drive wheel.

Special attention is now called to Fig. disclosing means for clampingand holding the web portion of the supply of cloth to be laid up, at theends of the amplitude of reciprocation of said carriage 20. Said meansincludes cloth web clamps I65 mounted on the table 2| at the ends vofthe amplitude of reciprocation of said carriage 20. Members I66 aremounted on the vertical arms 39 of the cloth laying up machine and areadapted to normally open up the cloth web clamps I65 when the carriage29 reaches the ends of its amplitude of reciprocation so that the clampsmay catch that section of the web portion then being laid.

The operation of the combination cloth laying-up and feeding machine isas follows:

A supply of goods which is to be laid-up is mounted on the carriage 29in a convenient way. The goods may be placed on the perforated sheetmetal top 25, or may be supported on forked arms, not shown on thedrawings, which is a usual way of supporting a supply of goods on alaying-up machine. A web of this goods is passed over or around one ormore of the guiding and tensioning rollers I59 to properly tension theweb of goods during the laying-up operation. The machine is then pushedto a position between the adjustable abutment members I38 and I39 sothat the feed rollers 3'! and 38 are separated, as shown in Fig. 14. Theend of the web is then engaged in between those feed rollers 31 and 38.

The handle 9| is now depressed so as to disengage the drive wheels 64from the table 2|. The machine is now pushed to one end of the table tostart the laying up of the goods. The end of the web of goods is thencaught by the usual clamping or tampingdevice I35 customarily used withlaying-up machines. The handle 9I is now pulled upwards to cause thedrive wheels 64 to engage the top of the table 2I. The machine may nowbe pushed to the other end of the table until it strikes the stop 93 or94, depending on which direction it is being pushed. During the initialportion of this stroke of the machine, the cloth web will be fed by thefeed rollers 31 and 38 which are now being driven through the drivemeans which includes the drive wheels 64. This drive means willcontinuously drive the feed rollers 31 and 38 in one direction at speedsto feed said cloth at the same rate that the carriage 20 is moved alongsaid table 2| in either direction. Because of the initial feeding of theWeb there will be no pull on the web due to the fact that its end isbeing held by the clamping device I65, and the carriage 20 is beingmoved away from said clamping device I55.

However, after the initial feeding of the Web,

, the machine reaches a position in which the means for separating therollers 31 and 38 function. From this point on the goods is being laidon the table 2|, and not being fed. This continues until the machinereaches the end portion of this stroke, whereupon the means forseparating the rollers is rendered inoperative and the feed rollers 31and 38 now contact each other and start feeding the Web of goods. Thisfeeding continues during the period that the feeding machine reaches theend of the stroke and is reversed to start moving back to the other endof the table 2|. During this reversal period the clamping device IE5 atthis end of the table 2| will catch and hold the fold of the web. Butthere will be no tension or pull on the web, due to this catching andholding operation, because the web is now being fed by the rollers 31and 38 at the same speed that the machine is being moved. When themachine reaches a certain position on the table ZI, the means forseparating the feed rollers again goes into operation and the machinenow lays the web on the table 2| and does not feed it. The advantages ofthis arrangement have already been pointed out at the beginning of thisspecification.

It is believed that the detailed operation of the various parts of themachine is already understood, from the prior description.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of ourinvention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and. the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a combination cloth laying-up and feeding machine, a carriage forsupporting a supply of cloth and adapted to be reciprocated back andforth on a table, a roller support frame movably supported on saidcarriage and having a front portion, means for guiding said frontportion to move in a vertical path, a pair of contacting feed rollersmounted on said front portion for receiving and feeding a web portion ofsaid supply of cloth, guiding and tensioning means for supplying saidweb portion to said rollers, drive means mounted on said carriage forcontinuously driving one of said feed rollers in one direction at speedsto feed said cloth at the same rate that said carriage is moved alongsaid table in either direction, means for limiting the distance throughwhich said carriage may be reciprocated, and means for separating saidrollers when said carriage is in position between the ends of itsamplitude of reciprocation so that the moving carriage may lay said Webportion of said supply of cloth on the table and contacting said rollerswhen said carriage is at end portions of its amplitude of reciprocationto feed said web portion of said supplyof cloth at the samerate thatsaid carriage is being moved, and means for clamping and holding saidweb portion as it is laid up at the ends of the amplitude ofreciprocation of said carnage.

2. In a combination cloth laying-up and feeding machine, a carriage forsupporting a supply of cloth and adapted to be reciprocated back andforth on a'table, a roller support frame mounted on said carriage,feedrollers mounted on said frame, and'drive means mounted on saidcarriage for continuously driving one of said feed rollers in onedirection at speeds to feed said cloth at the same rate that saidcarriage is moved along said table in either direction, comprising amain shaft rotatively-mounted on said frame, a pair of brackets turnablymounted on said shaft and extending to opposite sides of said shaft, adrive wheel rotatively mounted on each bracket for engaging said table,resilient means urging said brackets for engaging said drive wheelagainst said table, a pair of one way clutches mounted on said shaft andset in the same direction so that only one functions if turned inopposite directions, a transmission system from said drive wheels forturning said clutches in opposite directions, and a transmission fromsaid shaft to one of said feed rollers.

3. In a combination cloth laying-up and feeding machine, a carriage forsupporting a supply of cloth and adapted to be reciprocated back andforth on a table, a roller support frame mounted on said carriage, feedrollers mounted on said frame, and drive means mounted on said carriagefor continuously driving one of said feed rollers in one direction atspeeds to feed said cloth atthe same rate that said carriage is movedalong said tablein either direction, comprising a main shaft rotativelymounted on said frame, a pair of brackets turnably mounted on said shaftand extending to opposite sides of said shaft, a drive wheel rotativelymounted on each bracket for engaging said drive wheel against saidtable, a pair of one way clutches mounted on said shaft and set in thesame direction so that only one functions if turned'in oppositedirections, a transmission system from said drive wheels forturning'said clutches in opposite directions, and atransmission fromsaid shaft to one of. said feed rollers, and means for moving saidbrackets to a position in which said drive wheels disengage said table.

4. In a combination cloth laying-up and feeding machine, a carriage forsupporting a supply of cloth and adapted to be reciprocated back andforth on a table, a roller support frame pviotally and movably supportedon said carriage and having a front portion, and means for guiding saidfront portion to move in a vertical path, comprising a vertical frontarm mounted on said front portion, a parallelogram of pivotallyconnected arms extending rearwards and including said vertical frontarms, means for horizontally slidably'supporting one of the rear cornersof said parallelogram of arms, and means for moving one of therearwardly extending arms of said parallelogram of arms forwards andrearwards to maintainsaid vertical front arm in a vertical path whensaid front portion is moved up and down.

5. In a combination cloth laying-up and feeding machine; a carriage forsupporting a supply of cloth and adapted to be reciprocated backandforth on a table, a roller support frame pivotally and movablysupportedon said carriage and having afront portion, and meansforguiding said front portion to move in a vertical path, comprising. avertical front arm mounted on said front portion, aparallelogram ofpivotally connected arms extending rearwards and including said verticalfront arms, means for horizontally slidably supporting one of the rearcorners of said parallelogram ofarms, means for moving one of therearwardly extending arms of said parallelogram of arms forwards andrearwards to maintain said vertical front arm in a vertical path whensaid front portion is moved up and down, and means for counter-balancingsaid roller support frame.

6. In a'combination cloth laying-up and feeding machine, a carriage forsupporting a supply of cloth and adapted to be reciprocated back andforth on .a table, a roller support frame movably supported on saidcarriage and having a front portion, means for guiding said frontportion to move in a vertical path, an endless member movably mounted onsaid carriage and having a side portion moving in a vertical path andconnected with said front portion, a wheel engag- ;ing said endless.member for assisting in supporting it, a releasable ratchet forpreventing said wheel from turning in one direction to hold said frontportion invarious elevated positions,

and means controlled by. the reciprocation of said carriage'for turningsaid ratchet to progressively raise said front portion.

'1. In a combination cloth-laying-up and feed machine, a carriage forsupporting a supply of cloth and adapted to be reciprocated back andforth one table, a roller support frame movably supported on said"carriage and having a front portion, means for guiding said frontportion to move in a vertical path, a pair of contacting feed rollersmounted on said front portion for receiving and feeding a web portion ofsaid supply of cloth, and drive means mounted on said carriage forcontinuously driving one of said feed rollers in one direction at speedsto feed said cloth at the same rate that said carriage is moved alongsaid table in either direction, and including a driven shaft mounted onsaid carriage, an arm floating on said'carriage, a second shaft andmounted on said floating arm, a second arm pivotally mounted on saidsecond shaft and pivotally connected coaxially of said driven feedroller, a sprocket on said second shaft, a sprocket coaxially mounted onsaid driven feed roller, a chain connectingsaid sprockets, and aparallelogram of arms transmission connecting said driven shaft andsecond shaft.

8. Ina combination cloth laying-up and feeding machine, acarriageforsupporting a supply of cloth and adaptedito' be reciprocated back andforth on a table, a roller support frame movably supported'on saidcarriage and-having a front portion, means for guiding said frontportion to move in a vertical path, a pair of contacting feedrollersmounted on said front portion for receiving and. feeding a web portionof said supply of' cloth,'guiding andtensioning means'for supplying saidweb portion to said rollers, drive means mounted on said carriage forcontinuously driving one of said feed rollers in one direction at speedsto feed said cloth at the same rate that said carriageis moved alongsaid table in either direction, means for limiting the distance throughwhich said carriage may be reciprocated,

and means for separating said rollers whensaid carriage is in positionbetween the ends of its amplitude of reciprocation so that the movingcarriage may lay said web portion of said supply of cloth on the tableand contacting said rollers when said carriage is at end portions of itsamplitude of reciprocation to feed said web portion of said supply ofcloth at the same rate that said carriage is being moved, includingabutment members stationarily adjustably mounted at the end portions ofthe amplitude of reciprocation of said carriage for controlling thepoint where said rollers separate and where they contact each other.

9. In a combination cloth laying-up and feeding machine, a carriage forsupporting a supply of cloth and adapted to be reciprocated back andforth on a table, a roller support frame mounted on said carriage, feedrollers mounted on said frame, and drive means mounted on said carriagefor continuously driving one of said feed rollers in one direction atspeeds to feed said cloth at the same rate that said carriage is movedalong said table in either direction, comprising a shaft rotativelysupported on said carriage, a pair of one way clutches mounted on saidshaft, a drive wheel for engaging said table, transmission means fromsaid drive wheel to said clutches for turning said shaft continuously inthe same direction when said carriage is reciprocated and said drivewheel turns in both directions, and transmission means from said shaftto said one feed roller, said latter transmission means includes anauxiliary shaft rotatively supported on said roller support frame, achain transmission means connecting said shaft and auxiliary shaft andincluding a system for maintaining the tension of said chain in allpositions of said roller support frame, and a transmission system fromsaid auxiliary shaft to said feed roller.

10. In a combination cloth laying-up and feeding machine, a carriage forsupporting a supply of cloth and adapted to be reciprocated back andforth on a table, a roller support frame mounted on said carriage, feedrollers mounted on said frame, and drive means mounted on said carriagefor continuously driving one of said feed rollers in one direction atspeeds to feed said cloth at the same ratethat said carriage is movedalong said table in either direction, comprising a main shaft rotativelymounted on said frame, a pair of brackets turnably mounted on said shaftand extending to opposite sides of said shaft, a drive wheel rotativelymounted on each bracket for en aging said drive wheel against saidtable, a pair of one way clutches mounted on said shaft and set in thesame direction so that only one functions if turned in oppositedirections, a transmission system from said drive wheels for turningsaid clutches in opposite directions, and a transmission from said shaftto one of said feed rollers, and means for moving said brackets to aposition in which said drive Wheels disengage said table, comprising apair of pivotally connected links pivotally connected with said bracketsand normally extending slightly downwards, and means for lifting saidlinks upwards above a dead center for moving said brackets upwards andoutwards and locking the brackets in raised positions.

11. In a combination cloth laying-up and feeding machine, a carriage forsupporting a supply of cloth and adapted to bereciprocated back andforth on a table, a roller support frame pivotally and movably supportedon said carriage and having a front portion, and means for guiding saidfront portion to move in a vertical path, comprising a vertical frontarm mounted on said front portion, a parallelogram of pivotallyconnected arms extending rearwards and including said vertical frontarms, means for horizontally slidably supporting one of the rear cornersof said parallelogram of arms, and means for moving one of therearwardly extending arms of said parallelogram of arms forwards andrearwards to maintain said vertical front arm in a vertical path whensaid front portion is moved up and down, said means for horizontallyslidably supporting one of the rear corners of said parallelogram ofarms comprises projections from parallelogram of arms engaginghorizontal slots in said carriage.

12. In a combination cloth laying-up and feeding machine, a carriage forsupporting a supply of cloth and adapted to be reciprocated back andforth on a table, a roller support frame movably supported on saidcarriage and having a front portion, means for guiding said frontportion to move in a vertical path, an endless member mov ably mountedon said carriage and having a side portion moving in a vertical path andconnected with said front portions, a wheel engaging said endless memberfor assisting in supporting it, a releasable ratchet for preventing saidwheel from turning in one direction to hold said front portion invarious elevated positions, means controlled by the reciprocation ofsaid carriage for turning said ratchet to progressively raise said frontportion, and means for controlling the amount that said ratchet turnsfor each reciprocation cf said carriage.

13. In a combination cloth laying-up and feeding machine, a carriage forsupporting a supply of cloth and adapted to be reciprocated back andforth on a table, a roller support frame movably supported on saidcarriage and having a front portion, means for guiding said frontportion to move in a vertical path, a pair of contacting feed rollersmounted on said front portion for receiving and feeding a web portion ofsaid supply of cloth, guiding and tensioning means for supplying saidWeb portion to said rollers, drive means mounted on said carriage forcontinuously driving one of said feed rollers in one direction at speedsto feed said cloth at the same rate that said carriage is moved alongsaid table in either direction, means for limiting the distance throughwhich said carriage may be reciprocated, and means for separating saidrollers when said carriage is in position between the ends of itsamplitude of reciprocation so that the moving carriage may lay said webportion of said supply of cloth on the table and contacting said rollerswhen said carriage is at end portions of its amplitude of reciprocationto feed said web portion of said supply of cloth at the same rate thatsaid carriage is being moved, comprising abutment members adjustablymounted in fixed positions along the end portions of the path ofreciprocation of said carriage, and means controlled by engagement withsaid abutment members for separating said feed rollers when the carriageis in between the abutment members, and means for clamping and holdingsaid Web portion as it is laid up at the ends of the amplitude ofreciprocation of said carriage.

14. In a combination cloth laying-up and feeding machine, a carriage forsupporting a supply of cloth and adapted to be reciprocated back andforth on a table, a roller support frame movably supported on saidcarriage and having a front portion, means for guiding said frontportion to move in a vertical path, a pair of contacting feed rollersmounted on said front portion for receiving and feeding a web portion ofsaid supply of cloth, guiding and tensioning means for supplying saidweb portion to said rollers, drive means mounted on said carriage forcontinuously driving one of said feed rollers in one direction at speedsto feed said cloth at the same rate that said carriage is moved alongsaid table in either direction, means for limiting the distance throughwhich said carriage may be reciprocated, and means for separating saidrollers when said carriage is in position between ends of its amplitudeof reciprocation so that the moving carriage may lay said web portion ofsaid supply of cloth on the table and contacting said rollers when saidcarriage is at end portions of its amplitude of reciprocation to feedsaid Web portion of said supply of cloth at the same rate that saidcarriage is being moved, comprising abutment members adjustably mountedin fixed positions along the end portions of the path of reciprocationof said carriage, and means controlled by engagement with said abutmentmembers for separating said feed rollers when the carriage is in betweenthe abutment members, and including an endless chain supported on a pairof spaced sprockets and having pins engageable with same abutmentmembers to cause motion of the chain, and a transmission systemcontrolled by the position of said chain for separating said feedrollers and for permitting the feed rollers to contact each other.

15. In a combination cloth laying-up and feeding machine, a carriage forsupporting a supply of cloth and adapted to be reciprocated back andforth on a table, a roller support frame pivotally and movably supportedon said carriage and having a front portion, and means for guiding saidfront portion to move in a vertical path, comprising a vertical frontarm mounted on said front portion, a parallelogram of pivotallyconnected arms extending rearwards and including said vertical frontarms, means for horizontally slidably supporting one of the rear cornersof said parallelogram of arms, and means for moving one of therearwardly extending arms of said parallelogram of arms forwards andrearwards to maintain said vertical front arm in a vertical path whensaid front portion is moved up and down, comprising projections fromsaid rearwardly extending arms engaging in cam slots formed in saidcarriage.

16. A cloth spreader for tubular goods, comprising a frame forengagement into the tubular goods, and having a bottom arm, and ballbearings mounted on said bottom arm for resting on the feeding andlaying rollers of a combination cloth feeding and laying-up machine.

HERMAN WALTER GILBERT. WALTER DEICHMANN. FRANK H. DEXTER.

